The longest layover

Following a wonderful month of home cooking and comfort, I somehow managed to navigate the mountain of paperwork and PCR tests to be able to leave NZ again. With multiple linking flights, and 20 hours in Doha, I packed enough clothes for a full weekend of travel, and prepared myself for hell on earth.

After a long transit in Auckland, a short but complicated one in Adelaide (including going back through security again), and some uninspiring salad on the plane (I had opted for a raw vegan meal, hoping that the fruit and veg would make the journey more bearable), I arrived in Doha. A large airport with too many tech stores and not enough lounges, it took a couple hours before I found out how to leave and join a transit tour of the city.

What I wasn’t prepared for, was the fact it was Ramadan. And a Saturday. The city was dead, and wouldn’t come alive until that evening, in 12 hours time. Despite this, the tour was great, with a whole bus for just two of us, and a very knowledgeable tour guide. It was blisteringly desert hot, but the city was gorgeous, looking something like an abandoned theme park with its white buildings, squeaky clean streets, and green, well watered, parks.

Starting at the Dhow Harbour, we marvelled at the Museum of Islamic Art (Which was closed for refurbishment), looked across the water to the Business District, and took a peek at the Dhow boats, used traditionally by pearl gatherers and fisherman. We quickly moved on through the heat into the centre of the city, which until the 1970’s, contained little more than some offices and a post office.

We ended up at Katara Cultural Village, a beautifully built complex, housing an amphitheatre, restaurants, an Opera House, and much more. Unfortunately most things were closed, however we got to peek into a couple of gorgeous mosques, and learn more about the area. There is also an area of the village designed upon European culture, home to beautiful Murano Glass sculptures, and airconditioned walkways.

Finally we reached Souq Waqif, a traditional market. Selling souvenirs, clothing, spice, and Falcons (for the traditional sport of falconry), it was a wonderful visit, and definitely worth further investigation outside of Ramadan, to taste the food, and experience the culture.

Back to the airport, myself and my fellow traveller from the tour made the difficult decision not to continue exploring the city, due to Ramadan, and decided on spending the rest of the day resting before our midnight flights. We explored the airport, grabbed a nap, and finally splashed out on 6 hours in a lounge, enjoying the good food, hot showers, and comfortable chairs.

A word to the wise, if you have more than a few hours in Doha, and don’t want to pay for a lounge, explore the city! Even whilst creepily quiet, it was a beautiful experience, and next time I would splash out on a hotel and do it properly. Despite having company for much of my 20 hours, it was a hard trip, and getting back to the comfort of my flat felt like such a luxury.